


Making Memories

by vldrarepairs (miraculousstorytelling)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotions, Established Relationship, F/M, First Date on Earth, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Post-Canon, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 14:58:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10946895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousstorytelling/pseuds/vldrarepairs
Summary: With the end of the Galra empire, Keith and Allura can finally relax and enjoy some time together on their first Earth date. Between sightseeing and a marvelous desert view, Allura learns more about him than she expects.





	Making Memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rhapsodyinpink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhapsodyinpink/gifts).



> Happy birthday! I hope that you have an absolutely stellar day. :) Thank you so much for being such an amazing, encouraging friend. I'm so blessed to have gotten to know you, and I'm excited to see what's in store for you this coming year.
> 
> Thank you so much [flusteredkeith](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinwander/pseuds/flusteredkeith) for the inspiration and the feedback!

Silence filled the room, broken only by the familiar sound of the ship’s engine humming beneath them. With Allura’s fingers trailing through his hair, Keith could almost fall asleep beside her, content and comfortable.

"What's the first thing you want to do when we land?"

Keith blinked himself awake and considered his answer for a moment. "Probably find my motorbike and ride around in the desert."

Allura raised a brow beside him. "That's all?"

He shrugged and glanced over at her. "Yeah."

She frowned and sat up so she could look down at him properly. "Everyone else has elaborate plans to see family and eat Earth food, and all you want is to be alone?"

He looked past her to study the lights strung over Allura's bed, creating the illusion of starlight. "I don't have any family, and the goo's always tasted fine to me."

"That isn't my point."

He finally turned to face her. "Then, what is your point?"

"Just because your plans are different than the others doesn't mean they have to involve you being alone again."

He studied her expression for a moment, gauging what she wasn't saying as much as what she was. "You asked what I wanted to do, not what I had planned. I never made plans." He settled for as much sincerity as he could muster. "I didn't think we'd make it this far." After years of battles, none of them had expected to actually dismantle the Galra empire within their lifetime, much less create an alliance with the only ruler left. Now that they'd restored some semblance of peace, Keith wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself.

"I see." She reached out to cup his cheek. "Well, now that we have, what do you want to do?"

Finally, he smiled. "I want to go to the desert, find my motorbike, maybe ride it around..."

Allura scoffed and flopped back down beside him. "You're much too stubborn for your own good."

"Hey, I wasn't done." He propped himself up on an elbow and leaned over to press a soft kiss to her lips. "I want you to come with me."

She shot him a half-hearted glare and frowned up at him. "You could have started with that."

"Is that a yes?"

Rather than answer, she tugged him down on top of her and kissed him.

 

"You're going on a ride in the desert?"

"Yeah?" Keith raised a brow as he scooped up more goo.

"That's the worst date idea I've ever heard." Lance scoffed.

Keith snickered, thinking back to some of Lance's dates. "You sure about that?"

Allura grinned. "Worse than a spa in the middle of an active volcano?"

"That was one time. Seriously, the desert is a load of quiznak." Lance jabbed his spoon in Allura's direction. "You should go to the beach."

"It's been five years, Lance." Keith rolled his eyes. "How are you still using that word incorrectly?"

"Okay, fine," Lance snapped. "The desert is a load of sh-"

"It's too early for this," Pidge grumbled into her food goo. "Can't you argue later?"

Lance frowned. "My point is this is Allura's first Earth date, and all you're doing is driving around in the desert?"

Keith couldn't help the slow smirk that spread over his lips as he finally looked over at Lance. "Well, I could take her to a cafe that gives her food poisoning instead, but you covered that one, didn't you?"

"Or perhaps we could kiss in Keith's lion and accidentally fly it into a small moon?" Allura suggested with a small smirk of her own.

Lance opened his mouth to protest, but Keith jumped in first. "Or maybe I'll just visit a carnivorous planet that tries to eat us when we’re in the middle of a romantic picnic.”

Lance slumped back in his seat. "You're both the worst. Do whatever the quiznak you want."

"Hey, you used it right that time." Keith teased, prompting a burst of laughter from Allura and a glare from Lance.

 

When the castle touched down on Earth, everyone scattered, happy to finally see home after being gone so long. Coran accompanied the Holts home, to, in his own words, give Allura and Keith some privacy. While she appreciated the sentiment, Allura could have done without the accompanying wink.

“So, where are we going first?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Wanna get something to eat?”

“Eat?” She chuckled. “I thought we were going to find your motorbike.”

“I’m hungry.” He slipped his hands in his pockets. “And my bike can wait a few vargas.”

 

Luckily, they’d landed near a small town, and Keith seemed familiar enough with the area that he found a small restaurant almost immediately.

“It’s not the best food you’ll try, but I used to come here a lot when I was in school.”

“This was at the Garrison? Are we nearby?”

He nodded. “Shiro helped me sneak out a few times. This was the closest place to eat besides the cafeteria.”

“I see.” She smiled and looked around. The small structure was relatively clean, although the walls were dotted with cracks and writing that must have come from rowdy cadets. Keith led her to a table near the back, and she sat, looking around at the portraits hung from the wall. “Is that Shiro?”

Keith nodded without looking. “They hung that the day his ship went missing.”

“He looks much younger here.”

Keith smiled, some of his fonder memories of Shiro lighting up his expression. “Yeah, he really does.”

“What can I get you?” the waitress asked, her tone flat.

“We need a few dobo-” Keith grimaced and corrects himself. “Minutes.”

“Take your time.”

Allura picked up the menu and read through. “I’m not sure I know what any of this is.”

“It all pretty much tastes the same.” Keith looked over her shoulder. “They have good burgers.”

“Okay. I’ll try one of those, then.”

Keith flagged the waitress down and gave her their order. “While we’re waiting, I need to check something.”

“What is it?”

He grabbed her hand, the contact sparking a brief, soft blush in them both, given just how rare it was for them to indulge in something so obviously romantic in public, and led her to a few games in the corner. “I used to spend hours back here. It was almost better than the simulator in the Garrison.”

She stared down at the vivid, three-dimensional holograms floating over the flat-top screen. “What is it?”

“It’s a game. I used to have the high score.” The display changed to show a list of top scores, and he smirked. “Still do.”

“Who’s TheTailor?” she asked, reading the second score.

“Take a guess.”

She snorted. “Wait, didn’t Lance say something about that nickname?”

“Yep.” Keith reaches into his pocket for some change. “Wanna help me knock him off the board?”

Keith was a little rusty with the mechanics of the game, but he was still skilled enough to put his name on the board at number five. Unfortunately, watching him play had been distracting enough that Allura hadn’t really absorbed the gameplay itself much at all. Now that they could relax, she was happy to focus on something other than strategy and simply enjoy the intense focus in Keith’s eyes when he played.

“Your turn.”

She frowned. “Could you go again? I’m afraid I still don’t understand the controls.”

“Am I that distracting?” he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.

She looked down at the projection. “We’ve been focused on everything but our relationship for far too long. Perhaps it is a bit distracting to see you enjoy yourself.”

He was quiet for a moment, but then she felt him move behind her, cupping her hands in his palms. “Here, I’ll show you, then.” He put in enough change for another game. “It’s pretty easy to pick up.” As the projection changed to a ship, he positioned her hands in the appropriate position. If watching Keith play had been distracting, his hands-on method of teaching was doubly so. His chest pressed against her back while he manipulated her hands to dodge obstacles and fire at oncoming enemies.

“Is this supposed to be less distracting?” she asked as a hot puff of his breath rushed over the side of her cheek.

“You’re doing pretty well for someone who’s distracted.”

She chuckled. “Maybe it’s beginner’s luck.” It turned into a groan of frustration when an enemy ship ended the game. “So much for luck.”

“Better than my first play.” He slipped in some more change. “Try again.”

“Okay, but this time, you can’t help me.”

“Fine.” He lowered his hands to rest on her waist, moving back enough that she had room to move, but lingering close enough that she could still feel his warmth inches away.

Their food arrived just in time for Allura to finish typing out Voltron in the second spot of the leaderboard.

“With a little more practice, I’m sure I could have beaten you.”

He didn’t protest, but she caught a glimpse of a challenge in his eyes before he nodded and looked down at his food. “Maybe. Shiro beat me the first time he played.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she murmured, scooping up the burger first.

“Because Shiro’s good at everything?” he suggested.

She smiled. “That’s true.” When she finally took a bite, her brows raised. “This is amazing!”

“It’s okay.” Keith ate a bit of burger and shrugged. “It tastes like I remember.”

"And these are..." She held up a fry.

"French fries. It's basically fried strips of potato."

"Potato..." She mulled over the word for a moment.

“Hunk found something close. It was a…” He searched for the word. “A cravain?”

“Oh, that’s right!” She brightened. “I remember. Hunk served it whole, though, didn’t he?”

He nodded. “It’s just a different way of making it.”

Once they’d finished eating, Keith ordered a dessert for them to share after they looked over the menu again and Allura pointed out a lava cake.

“It’s not going to actually have lava, is it?”

“No. If I wanted to eat unsafe food, I’d ask Coran to bake.”

She bit back a laugh. “Okay, so why called that, then?”

“You’ll see.”

The waitress dropped a plate between them. “Enjoy.”

“Watch.” He scooped up a fork and cut into the side. Allura stared as warm, liquid chocolate spilled out of the side. “It looks kind of like lava.”

“That’s amazing!” She grinned. “I wonder if we could do something similar with ingredients on the ship.”

“Knowing Hunk, he’s probably restocking the kitchen with everything he can carry.” He smiled. “And considering he’s been benchpressing Lance lately, that’s probably a lot.”

Allura scooped up some of the cake and beamed up at Keith. “This is much sweeter than the chocolate I’ve tasted before.”

“Yeah, I like space chocolate better.”

“I see. This is too sweet for you?” she teased.

He shot her a look, but his smile contradicted any heat in his glare.

They finished the cake easily between the two of them, and Keith paid the bill before leading her outside.

“Where to next?” she asked. “Your bike?”

“Close.”

 

“I don’t see why Lance was complaining about the desert,” Allura shouted over the rumble of the borrowed transport. “It looks lovely.”

“Glad you agree,” Keith called back. “I love it out here.”

“It reminds me of the Fondian Plains on Altea.”

“Isn’t that where it rained boiling hot, razor rocks?”

She chuckled. “Well, sometimes.”

“Sounds like it would have been a nice place for a first date.”

He stopped in front of a small shack a long distance from anything else and turned off the engine. The structure looked as though it hadn’t been disturbed in ages. “Is this where your bike is?” she asked between lingering laughter.

“Not exactly.” Keith tugged off his helmet. “I can’t believe they didn’t find this place.”

“What is it?”

He stepped off the transport and offered her a hand. “It’s where I went after I was kicked out of the academy.”

“What?” She stared down at him. “Why are we here?”

He hesitated and let his hand drop back down to his side. “Well, you always talk about how we’ve never had time to get to know each other. I thought…”

Suddenly, it clicked. She’d assumed he went to the restaurant because it was close, but he’d made a point to mention it was important to him when he was a student. Now he’d brought her to another place that meant a lot to him before he left Earth. In his way, he was letting her in, inviting her into his past and showing her more about himself. This was Keith telling her that he didn’t care to be alone anymore. Not while she was here.

Allura grinned and removed her helmet. “Let’s go inside.”

This time, she accepted the outstretched hand and didn’t let go, even when they walked in to find a room covered in dust and scattered cobwebs.

She spotted the board with faded pictures and articles immediately. “Is this where you found the Blue Lion?”

“I found something. I didn’t know what it meant, but I knew it was important.”

She approached the tall corkboard, fingers trailing along the string he’d used to connect pieces of the puzzle. It was impressive to see the results of his dedication. Her eyes trailed along to the rest of the room, the bookcase stacked with equipment and the single sofa with a table, held up by cinder blocks. “You lived here alone?”

He nodded.

“It sounds…” She couldn’t find a word, so she simply let the unspoken sadness linger in the air as she imagined him sleeping on a couch too small for him, papers still clenched in his fists and disappointment burning in his chest. It must have been lonely and unforgiving, spending a year insisting that a man widely believed to be dead was still alive and in desperate need of help.

“Yeah.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad he’s safe now.”

She was, too, but she was equally glad Keith wasn’t living like this any longer.

 

After looking through some of the books he’d left behind, they returned to the transport. Allura could swear Keith looked lighter as they walked outside, perhaps a part of him at rest now that he’d returned to where his journey began.

“Ready to find my bike?”

She nodded and held on tight while he flew off through the desert.

The colors around them blurred together as Keith accelerated. Allura could feel her stomach flip as he sped along the contours of the landscape.

“How fast can this go exactly?” she yelled.

“Wanna find out?” he shouted back.

A thrill of excitement raced down her spine, and she smiled. “Yes!”

The engine roared as Keith accelerated, and Allura cheered while adrenaline coursed through her. Perhaps it was reckless, but speeding through the desert almost made her feel young again.

They finally slowed near a network of caves, and Keith stopped in front of one, both of them breathless.

“That was wonderful!” she declared as she removed her helmet.

He smirked. “Wait till we get my bike.”

“Is it in one of these caves?”

“No. I hid it nearby.” He stepped off the transport and looked around. “I think it was…” He frowned when he peeked behind a rare patch of greenery and found nothing there.

“Why did you hide it over here?”

“Because this is close to where we found the Blue Lion.”

“It is?” She peeked inside the nearest cave. “Can we see it?”

“Sure.” Keith grinned, tugging his bike out of the hidden alcove where he’d left it. “I figured you’d want to check it out.”

“Did you?”

He glanced back at her. “It’s part of your history.”

She smiled, touched he’d thought to bring her here. “Yes, it is.”

 

When Keith led her to the carvings of the blue lion, roped off and full of abandoned equipment left behind by the Garrison leaders that found the cave in the aftermath, her breath caught in her throat. She reached out, fingers trembling, and traced one of the lions.

“Allura?” he asked softly.

She inhaled sharply. “This… I drew this.”

“You’ve been to Earth?”

She shook her head. “When I was young, I drew pictures of the lions for my father. He always treasured them. He said I captured their essence.” She smiled, blinking back tears. “He...must have asked them to include this with the other carvings.”

“Maybe he wanted you to be the one to find it,” Keith suggested, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She scrubbed at her eyes. “He always said he thought Blue would be fond of me.”

“Little did he know that meant the Blue Paladin would flirt with you relentlessly for months.”

She let out a short laugh. “I imagine he would have found that amusing.”

“I think he’d be proud of what you’ve done with Voltron.”

She finally looked back at Keith. “I know he would have been proud of all of you for defending the galaxy against Zarkon.”

“I wish I could have met him.”

“Me, too,” she murmured, finally stepping away from the wall. “The Blue Lion was in here?”

“No, actually, we fell through the ground.” He indicated a large hole beside them. “Seems like the Garrison left us a path down.”

Sure enough, something or someone had carved a crude set of steps in the rock, allowing them to walk down to the enormous cavern.

Keith frowned. “There was a lot more water last time. I guess they must have cleared it out.”

“That does make sense, given the Blue Lion’s connection to water. It might have left without the lion’s presence to draw it in.”

He hummed in agreement as they reached the last step.

Allura spotted the dark circle where the lion once stood immediately. The barrier surrounding the Blue Lion had left permanent, deep marks in the ground nearby, and she could almost feel an undercurrent of electricity when she stepped over the blackened earth. Blue light flared and fizzled out under her feet, the connection to Allura enough to spark and show traces of the inscription that had kept the Blue Lion safe for so long.

“It feels like home,” she whispered, closing her eyes and basking in the sensation dancing under her skin as the lingering traces of Altean energy flowed through her.

 

Finally, it was time to leave, and Keith led her outside, mercifully quiet on the subject of her puffy eyes and lingering tear tracks. The experience had been unforgettable, but the memories and mourning she’d put off for so long hit hard now that she had the chance to freely express herself.

He handed her a helmet and climbed onto his bike, checking to make sure everything was properly fueled and charged while she settled into a comfortable position behind where he would sit. “Ready to go?” he asked as he sat in front of her.

She nodded, not quite trusting her voice.

“Hold on tight.”

She locked her arms around his middle, breathing in the comfortable, familiar scent of his jacket while the engine came to life underneath them. He practically flew away from the caves, startling a yelp out of Allura as her grip tightened. She buried her face in the nape of his neck, the rush of speed both exhilarating and overwhelming.

The sky was dimmer now, colors splashing over the horizon, and Allura managed a glimpse or two when he had to slow to avoid the peaks scattered throughout the desert. She didn’t care to ask where they were going this time, but she knew they’d need to head back soon.

Keith finally pulled over on a plateau and dug out a bag from under the seat. “Don’t worry. This is our last stop.”

“Where are we?” she asked, tossing her helmet in the back of the bike.

“The place I went to think.” He laid out a blanket. “Or shout or do whatever I needed to do.”

“I see.” She sat beside him. “You don’t have a lot of pleasant memories here, do you?”

He shrugged. “I’m making some now.”

“That’s sweet, but surely this hasn’t been the ideal first date.” She looked down. “Crying isn’t exactly romantic.”

“Maybe not, but I’m glad you did.” He frowned. “You lost a lot.”

She moved closer, resting against his side. “So did you.”

“Yeah, but I got Shiro back.”

“I suppose that’s true.” She finally looked out at the view of the desert. “It looks lovely from up here.”

“It was good timing. We can watch the sun set.”

She laced her fingers in his. “Thank you. This has been wonderful.”

“Well, it was your first Earth date.”

She laughed, the sound ringing out through the open air. “This was all because Lance insulted your idea, wasn’t it?”

“No!” he immediately protested, then his shoulders slumped, unintentionally bringing her in closer. “Well, not completely. I just thought it would be nice.”

She grinned and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “It was. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that your rivalry once again affects our relationship.”

“For the last time, I didn’t kiss you because of Lance,” he grumbled.

“Even though he said you were too afraid to do it.”

Keith scowled. “It was just bad timing. I was already planning it.”

“I’m sure.”

He sighed and bent down to quiet her with an unusually tender, lingering kiss. “That was for you. Not Lance.”

“I should hope it wasn’t for Lance,” she shot back, her lips curved into a teasing grin.

“You know what I meant.”

She reached out, cupping the back of his head. “I’m not so sure I do. Maybe I need another kiss to decide.”

He smiled. “I can do that.” He moved back in to press his lips to hers, his typical searing heat and hurried pace replaced by a soft warmth she wanted to savor until the sun rose again behind them. Keith had always been quick to pick up on what she enjoyed, but they’d never truly had the time for anything more than a few uninterrupted moments together. Her fingers in his hair tightened, startling a gasp out of him, and she took advantage of the moment to taste the lingering chocolate on his tongue. He broke the kiss to trace  is thumbs over the markings just under her eyes. “Hey, you know we can take our time now, right?”

She raised a brow. “When did you become the patient one?”

“Well, you know what Shiro always says.”

“Patience yields focus,” they said together, each imitating the familiar inflections of Shiro’s voice as they did.

She chuckled. “Perhaps you’re right.” As soon as Keith relaxed, she turned and sat on his lap. “Then again, I feel we’ve been patient already.”

He gripped her waist and looked up at her, the beginnings of a smirk on his kiss-swollen lips. “I always thought focus was overrated.”

“Funny…” She leaned in to whisper into his ear, savoring the way his pulse jumped under palms on either side of his neck. “So did I.”


End file.
